Time to Pretend
by EllisFever
Summary: Time to Pretend is a literate story about the life of Ash's Charizard. Yes, we all know what happened to the fire and flying type Pokémon. But this is his life in Charific Valley; this is the untold story. This is Charizard's story.
1. Greetings Trainers

**DISCLAIMER**

The concept of Pokémon does not belong to me. As much as I wish it did, it doesn't, I just want to put that out there.

**THEME MUSIC**

Alright, this story has a theme song to it that solely inspired me to write it. The song is called 'Time to Pretend' by MGMT. If you ever get a chance, just look it up on Playlist or YouTube, it's a really good song. I'm also using the lyrics for my chapter titles.

**THANKS**

I'd also like to finish by telling you thanks for reading! As slow as I might be at updating my fanfics, I really do love them, and want to keep them alive. Reviews and alerts would totally boost my muse to make the next chapter as well! Thanks again, guys~


	2. i'm feeling rough

It's cold. Not the cold I've been feeling for the last month, but the normal cold. Sort of strange coming from a Charizard, I know, but tonight is not like those other nights. Where I would just be able to sit out on top of a random mountain and watch the stars' cycle. Not tonight; it was far too cold on the mountaintops for leisurely flies. An ominous frost had settled over the Charicific Valley, chilling every warm-blooded Charizard to the very bone. Hell, for some, it has gotten so severe that wings are not capable of operating correctly. Fortunately, I'm not one of those 'some'.

"I'm different," muttered Charizard, curling up his wings around his large body.

Although the wings felt comforting, the thin membrane was no match for the frigid air that managed to seep through anything like a virus trying to get to its next cell.

Where am I you ask? Well, I'm in my usual spot: perched atop of the head of the giant stone Charizard at the center of Charicific Valley. Yep, I'm still the bodyguard…but to what? The most exhilarating thing I had done lately was take up oxygen and flap my 'mighty' wings. I pondered my reason here as I stared up into the rising sun in the distance. Tainting the sea of indigo was a splash of faded azure, graduating into a gentle golden.

_I swear those are where the rays of the sun end…_

That's what it felt like down here. I had yet to feel a single ray of sunshine beat down on me, to bathe me in its soothing warmth. This was strange, for it was the middle of summer, and even then Charicific Valley was known to be warm year-round. Things have been so _strange _lately.

But before I could get into any more detail, a thundering boom could be heard as a heavy force smashed against the rock-Charizard's surface. Before I could even so much as move a muscle, a loud and shrill voice met my sensitive ears.

"Hi, Charizard!" sang an uppity Burvance, dancing around me with heavy steps.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed, "Good morning, Burv."

Yes, this is Burvance; Burv for short. He's possibly the closest thing I have to a friend here, and I couldn't possibly function properly if it weren't for him. As annoying and stubborn this Charizard can be, he's the only being that puts up with my philosophical outlook on life and depressing mood. I could live without the early-bird, though.

Burvance pouted, a lip protruding from his muzzle. "You don't sound that excited to see me."

I didn't respond; he was just looking for attention. He craved it; it was what he lived off of. Well he was expecting it from the wrong person, and he seemed to realize this soon.

The large Charizard plopped down beside me, allowing his tongue to loll out and wings to slouch. After a moment of silence, staring at the beautiful sunrise, bubbly Burvance finally busted, "So what do you plan on doing this morning? Anything exciting? Oh, can I come! It's been so long since I've been farther than the watering hole. Speaking of the watering hole, have—"

Before he could ramble on much longer, I grabbed his tongue and heaved a deep sigh. Finally, I muttered, "Of course. I'm going to be doing the exact same thing I did yesterday: absolutely nothing!"

And with that, I snatched my hand from Burv's tongue and unfurled my wings.

"I'm going to go for a quickly fly," I announced, "I don't know when I'll be back."

As Burvance's tongued slurped back into his mouth, he quickly opened it again to say, "Can I—"

But I didn't hang back to hear what ridiculous request Burvance would make. Instead, i gave one mighty flap and lifted away from him, hoping to gain a lot of distance so that he couldn't catch up. I just wanted to be alone right now, I had no intention of hurting Burv's feelings, as tender as they could be. Even though it doesn't appear so half the time, I really care for Burv, and view him as my young brother.

In the air, I felt at least moderately better. Maybe because there was a lifting feeling as I flew, literally. The monotonous beat of my wings was most of all soothing, being as it was all I was required to listen to up here, also the motion coming naturally to me. I floated effortlessly through the cloudless baby-blue sky, paying little attention to what was transpiring around me.

Though, in the distance, my keen eyes could make out a sleek body rocketing downward toward the ground, wings wrapped like vines around its body. I knew who it was, and I was mesmerized instantly. It was Charla.

The beautiful Charizard fell…but with such grace, it was almost unbelievable. And she continued to dive, until the ground coming up to meet her rose up dangerously fast. Of course, like a pro, she gently unfurled her wings and allowed air to rest underneath them, granting her enough leverage to lift up yet again into the sky.

"Simply…beautiful." It was just too much for words. The way her narrow body split through the air, the way her long, flowing tail danced behind her like a shadow. It was tempting, but I was known to be capable of resisting such temptations…but for how long?

I snapped back into focus as my own drifting was interrupted. There was a slight disturbance in the air flow, so I was forced to flap my wings rapidly in order to regain lost altitude and balance myself out.

_The hell was that?_

At that moment, a soft giggle could be heard from someplace nearby.

_I know that voice._

Sure enough, Charla came fluttering up beside me, the same giggle continuing to ring throughout her chest.

"Scared ya~"

Now that I was out of my fantasy world, my defensive side began to kick in. Damn. I turned my head and pretended I hadn't even noticed.

"Did not."

Charla found this amusing, for she giggled yet again before sky rocketing off, a trail of fire dancing behind her from her ignited tail.

Ignoring my cold and emotionless mood, I chased after her. As foolish as it sounded, I was actually enjoying myself, loving the scent Charla left as I flew through a thermal she had grazed. That's when I realized I had lost my ability to resist temptation. To hell with it!

"Can't catch me!" taunted Charla, wrapping her wings around her gorgeous body in order to dive yet again.

Things getting a bit more competitive on my side, I continued my pursuit, twirling and dancing after her trail like an enticed Volbeat. Shut up, okay! As much as it pained me to say, I…um…_adored_ Charla. She was so fun; she made reminded me how awesome it was to be a mighty Charizard! While I was hot on her tail, Charla spread her wings, rolling into a smooth somersault and somehow managing to fly in an upward motion toward the open sky.

_My god, woman!_

Me, being the heavy and most ungraceful Charizard out there, tore off after her, reluctant to lose our connection.

Panting as I rapidly beat my wings, I grunted, "I'm telling you now that this is the most unfair game I've ever played."

The Charizard some distance ahead of me chuckled then slowed, gliding back to my side like an obedient Growlithe. I loved it when she did that. It made me feel whole…like I had just found a missing piece of me. A piece that had been missing for what felt like centuries.

"Then maybe you should practice more. That way I won't have to stop and let you catch up." Charla meant no harm, but it still struck me hard. Arceus; why did I have to be so touchy?

Coughing a bit, I whispered, "There's a line between practicing and just being flat-out obsessed."

Slowly flying away, Charla laughed lightly. "I heard that."

And that, my friend, was where we danced the dance of the sky. It was beautiful. Charla lead the entire waltz. As she bobbed, I weaved; as she dived, I encompassed her with a spiral. I don't know where all this grace came from, but I brushed it off as instinct and continued to do what I was born to do.

Finally, after a long while—time is a figure to only humans, we Pokémon have all the time in the world—Charla suddenly stopped, flapping around so that she was facing me. Once I approached her, she began to purr, brushing her harmless tail-flame against my chest. Not a sign of love…but of affection.

_So she feels the same way!_

I felt a strange feeling bloom in my chest, growing so large that it rose to my throat. For the first time, in a long while, I let out a boisterous chuckle. Charla joined me with her soft, jingling giggle, twirling around me once before heading back toward the tower. Like a Granbull on a leash, I followed after her. In my little piece of happiness, I ignored the fact that something didn't feel quite right. Little did I know that it would later bite me right in my big, orange ass.


	3. i'm feeling raw

"Isn't it marvelous?"

Charla and I were side by side, I on her left, her on my right. Again, it felt so right. We were where we were meant to be: close to each other. Nothing could penetrate our shield of undulating intimacy. I was not completely certain Charla was on the same level, but I knew she was interested. That sparked a bit of incentive. All my attempts were not in vain.

Nudging me with the tip of her left wing, yet maintaining her flawless glide, Charla both roped me in with her eyes and practically forced me to focus on her last sentence.

Clearing my mind, I looked awkwardly from her to the mountains in the distance. "Just one of the best views up here." I cleared my throat towards the end. I didn't want to make it obvious, nor did I relish the thought of making Charla feel uncomfortable. Nothing to hide behind up in the sky, excluding the occasional cloud.

_And lucky me, there are no clouds today._

Growing anxious from Charla's silence, I risked a side-glance, only to see her grinning back at me, her eyes shining. I smirked before shifting my course towards the tower, Charla repositioning her self in accordance.

"So tell me, Charizard," Charla began, keeping her gaze directed towards their destination, "How've you been lately. You've said barely a word since your return from Hoenn. It's got me…worried, to say the absolute least."

I flinched. She understood my…trainer…was a soft spot, a spot that shouldn't be tread upon lightly. But the timid glance Charla flashed me healed me momentarily. I had no intention of worrying her, much less about the likes of me.

After a long pause, Charizard heaved a sigh and murmured, "I'm sorry. I guess there hasn't been much for me to say lately. I wake up, eat, work, and visit. The usual. Does that work for you?"

Charla discovered the sarcasm in my words and rolled her eyes. Neither of us was in the mood for my negativity. Losing her caring tone, she said tartly, "Well then. When you're about ready to let things go, I'll be here." Upon my opening of the mouth for a rebuttal, she flew ahead, lightly slapped my muzzle with her tail, and continued, "But I won't wait for you forever." She then flew of again, the fire of her tail leaving a tempting trail.

This time, I stayed put. I had ruined our moment. I came to this heart-wrenching realization as she came close to docking at the large, Charizard tower. The dull flap of my wings allowed me some time to just observe. I myself was not far from the tower; Charla had already fluttered through the vast window shaped as an eye. Burv, who had remained on top of the figure's scalp, waved in my direction, childish glee plaguing his expression. He was _still _waiting for me.

_Burv, you loyal hound._

Regardless of the fact that I had ditched him in mid-sentence, he remained friendly. Perhaps the formation of our closeness had sheltered his belief that he owed me. I had told him on several occasions that it was not that big of a deal, but he insisted that it was a lot bigger in his eyes. How all this care came about will be revealed when required later on.

A foot away from the eye of the statue, I furled my wings and perched myself upon the lower lid, heaving a tired sigh. The day had just begun and I was already physically and emotionally drained. Burvance was flapping beside me in an instant, the same smile staring back at me. "Hey, Char! Welcome back! I see you just returned with the lovely Charla. You guys enjoy your time…_alone_? Burv wiggled his brows in a seductive gesture. Ignoring him, I entered the candle-lit room, Burv attempting to crawl in after me.

As soon as his foot made contact with the lip of the eye, my tail flared out, the mighty muscle crashing against Burvance's chest.

"Oof!" He fell…not for long, but it was still amusing to witness. That had lifted my spirits, even causing a small grin to sprout. Looking back into the room, I nodded to both Charla and her trainer, Liza. Neither seemed amused by my childish act. In fact, the petite yet fiery woman's lips were pursed into a thin line. I wondered what had pissed her off so much; even Charla seemed perturbed by something. What had I missed?

Burv clawed his way into the room, belly flopping onto the stone floor, his tail still hanging out of the window. "Very…funny." He lazily lashed his tail against the side of the statue. I blankly stared back at Liza, my eyes swiftly scanning her expression, aiming to read something—anything. No words were exchanged, however. She couldn't understand my sort of speak, but she was fairly good at catching the gist of my expressions. I attempted to appear calm, allowing a bit of concern to taint it.

She seemed to detect this, for she uncrossed her arms and sighed, saying, "Charizard...there's been…a disappearance. A potential kidnap or murder."

Charla squeezed her eyes shut at the word 'murder'. I would bet the rest of my life she was forcing back tears. Burvance remained in his awkward position, a bit more serious now. Confused, even. I couldn't tell how I was feeling. It was a wet and sticky concoction that made me sweat; a thin layer of red obstructed my vision. Was this intense anger I was experiencing? I had never felt this way before.

Shaking my head and clearing my vision, I nodded to Liz, insisting she continue. "He was a wild Charizard, so I did not know his name, but I visited him frequently out by the mountain lake. He's old, but powerful. He had been missing for about a week now, though I had assumed he went hunting or something of the like. I'm really worried, and I fear that there may be a hunter or predator nearby." Liz sucked in a breath and bit her lower lip, clenching her eyes shut. I was surprised she hadn't drawn blood yet.

_They must've been really close. I can't recall ever seeing Liz cry before_.

Bolstering up a bit, Liz said—no, pleaded, "Charizard, you have to keep an open eye. I don't want any of this happening to any other Charizard in my care. "She gave Charizard a stern look of determination.

If I could've spoken in her language, I would've said, "Rest assured, Liz. Not a soul will be disturbed while I'm at power." But instead, I nodded my reassurance. Only that instant I felt like an idiotic Pokémon, only capable of conveying my emotions in simple gestures. Well, at least she knew I comprehended, for she nodded in response and turned away, heading down the long hallway that funneled toward the exit at the base. Charla went with her, her tail dragging behind her miserably.

I sat there for the longest time, staring at the same notch in the floor I had been staring at the last minute. It held no significance; I'm just extremely wiser when I have something to focus on. My eyes were narrowed as I struggled to formulate a plan of action. Something had to be done quickly if I wanted to keep my word to Liz.

Frustrated with my lack of a plan, I tore myself from my rooted position and flew out the window, my wings narrowly furling right before I exited the window.

I was now seated upon the rooftop of the Charizard replica yet again, my eyes gazing at nothing in particular. Burvance had rested beside me, his wings splayed out beside him. He told me he disliked keeping his wings taught and drawn, it was unnatural. _"But don't they get in the way?" _I had asked. _"Only when I try and fly."_ Burvance had laughed stupidly at that one.

"So…so what are you gonna do?" Burvance intently stared at me, though I wasn't looking back. Instead, I indirectly sighed, "I don't know. If you think about it, _is _there much that can be done about it? I need more answers if I want to get anything pieced together properly. But I all I have are these stupid questions torturing my thoughts." Burv was silent, ignoring the strange way I interpreted my emotions and thoughts.

He then suddenly beat his fist against the surface of the statue. I shot him a confused glance. "Why are we just sitting here, then? We'll just run off of the answers we have so far! Something has to be done before there's another 'disappearance'." I'd never seen Burvance so...furious.

That's precisely what I needed, though. Answers. I just had to get on the right track, and these questions would answer themselves. All I needed was a decent start, but I already knew where to begin. "You comin' Burv?" I inquired, flexing my wings and positioning myself for take off.

"Hrm?" Burvance gave me a dumbfounded look, but he did rise to his feet and gave himself a shake.

"I'm going to the mountain lake."

"Good idea, Char! We can go 'n getcha some answers for your questions there!"

I sighed at how simply Burvance had put things together, but I prepared my muscles and flew off, Burvance dancing behind me closely. He seemed to be excited by this investigation. I was too, but I was not openly suggesting this. Instead, I flew on with a fierce determination to solve this mystery.


	4. i'm in the prime of my life

** **NOTE:** _I suppose if I made my chapters longer and gave them more meaning, __Time to Pretend__ would be more worth reading. Well, that's just what I did for this chapter, and those soon to come. Enjoy the new and improved TtP!_ **

It's wonderful being a Charizard. We had flown for a reasonably long while, Burvance and I, and my strength was still at its peek. Burvance was tagging along, he had settled down a bit since our departure; maybe now he understood how serious our mission really was. My mission, really. I was the defender of the Charizard in Liz's care. As difficult as it was to protect a Charizard, for they were rarely 'endangered'. Sure, they were _constantly _under the threat of trainers looking for a cheap way to acquire a Charizard. But once that Pokéball pops back into their greedy hands, they realize that the inhabitances of Charicific Valley are mostly already captured.

"Charizard, what do you expect to come across at the mountain lake?" Burvance broke my stride. I really didn't know what to expect or look for when I arrived; just answers.

I shrugged, admitting, "I can't say, really. I was thinking of kicking it old-school and finding some foot prints that would lead me to the culprit."

Burv snorted, a grin budding on his face "I can't decide whether that was sarcasm, or a real joke. If it was a joke, then alert the press!" I gave a lop-sided grin. Hey, at least I gave him something. But now Burv's question was ringing in my mind. What _did _I hope to find that'd help me out?

_There has to be at least _one _thing worth discovering at the mountain lake. This entire trip cannot be in vain._

I don't know how long it took us to reach our destination; Burvance was strangely quiet for the rest of the flight, and my mind was entertaining the idea of questioning Charizard nearby the mountain lake in case they witnessed anything bizarre transpiring there.

_But that's a last resort; only if I cannot come up with anything else._

I angled myself downward toward the mountain's cliff; my feet outstretched, and ready to carry my weight. Once I landed, Burvance mimicked my maneuver and tromped up beside me, his wings lolling at his sides.

"Where did this missing Charizard live, anyway?" questioned Burvance. He too was looking about the woodsy yet widely spaced foliage of the mountain.

"Somewhere near the lake, I'd assume. Hence, mountain lake Charizard."

"Right!" Burvance chuckled lightly before randomly bearing to his left.

I face palmed, shaking my head in disbelief. "_Other _way." Burvance quickly veered around, prancing ahead of me, but I did catch a sheepish smile gracing his muzzle.

After a bit of trekking, Burv broke his silence streak and moaned, "Ugh, if I would've known how far the lake was from the ledge, I would've kept on flying. I'm a Charizard, correct? A fiery, overgrown-lizard that can _fly_."

I ignored his attitude and reasoned, "Ha, yeah. A very large lizard indeed. One that'd smash through every damn tree top on the way to the lake. Besides, you wouldn't even be able to see it from an aerial outlook; it's virtually choked from view by trees. So stop being difficult and keep moving." I gave my silenced friend a push forward.

A bit of thinking later, Burvance stopped for a second time. What else had he come up with to whine about? "What do you mean its 'choked from view by trees'?" He gestured with a claw around him. "There're barely enough trees here to hide a Snorlax!" I rolled my eyes at his ignorance.

"It's the only moisturizing part of this entire arid mountain! The plant-life has practically arranged itself over the lake like starved children."

The questioning Charizard tapped his head for a while, putting on that he was pondering my words like a professional. "That makes sense."

We continued on our way, the trees beginning to thin in distance between each other and each portion of undergrowth seeming to cling to our every foot step. The situation was beginning to become…unsettling. Charizard do not enjoy being blinded, especially me. We were so perturbed that a mere tremble in a mount of leaves caused Burvance to yelp involuntarily and scramble closer to me. Even I halted to stare down whatever was observing us.

"Tret!" Before us, a beige and russet banded Sentret bounded from the leaves, darting across our path to Arceus knows where, a flurry of vibrant leaves left in its arousal. Burvance exhaled a breath of relief and my threatening battle posture receded into a more relaxed state. It was clear that we were both tense. The mountain wasn't visited frequently by patrons of Charicific Valley, only the really great and powerful Charizard.

_Liz has quite the courage to make the trip up here regularly._

As if my mind had been glanced at, Burvance said, "Wow, Liz's got a pair, eh?"

Simply nodding, I made an initiative to go onward, the tag-along catching this and chasing after…closely. We were nearing our destination; the sparseness in fellow Pokémon and abundance in green was a helpful suggestion.

"Smells like danger," murmured Burv, sniffing and looking about.

"It's possibly because we've made it."

Together we stopped to gaze at the eccentric structure covering the vast body of water. It was indeed quite a sight to behold. Above the lake was a canopy composed purely of green, pink, brown, and an assortment of several other natural colors that pleased the eye. They were treetops, flowered and flaunting their newly bloomed beauty. Evidently hoarding the benefits of being positioned right above the lake.

The outer facet of the natural shelter was originally created by bark, but was now swathed in long, green vines sprinkled with small, violet thorns. As if they were willing to cause injury to whoever challenged to infiltrate their barricade.

Looking as if he didn't want to interrupt the tranquility with his voice, Burv whispered, "I see Liz's attraction to this place." I nodded again, numbed by the unadulterated beauty.

At first, the fortress appeared impregnable, but upon closer evaluation, several gaps could be seen strewn about its exterior, made by little thieves attempting to get at the water within. Locating the largest break —which was really not that big judged against to my girth—I struggled through the barbed vines, their sharpness barely scuffing my tough hide. Burv came next, with an outburst of 'oh', 'ah', and 'ow' every now and then.

_Only you would catch every last thorn in your skin, Burvance._

The ruckus dying, I gazed at the brilliant body of water splayed out before me. The sunshine that scantly shone through the roof beat down on the lake and caused it to shimmer in an array of sapphire and diamond, the trees above mixing in their own dazzling emerald.

Sniffing obnoxiously, Burv announced, "It smells so much more pure than the watering hole." He advanced, bowing down in order to take a sip from the water. Shooting his head back up, his expression erupting with surprise and delight, he choked, "It's delicious!"

"Shh!" I hissed, Burvance flinching in accordance. I heard a sort of rustling originate from the left side of the lake. Both our eyes peered toward that direction, our legs gradually comprehending our curiosity and heading toward the source. It didn't take long for us to discover that the sound was in fact a rustling of feathers. Burvance and I shot each other an intrigued glance.

What we uncovered was a copious nest, the plants within it flattened to one direction to craft it more distinct and even. But what made me quiver was what inhabited the nest. An entire flock of Spearow; just my luck. They were all asleep at the center of the formation, thirty strong. The ocean of black and deep violet feathers was overwhelming. Looking deeper into the sleeping session, I spotted a much bigger frame; lankier but comparable in size to me no doubt.

Before I could utter a word, my highly intelligent buddy proclaimed, "It's a Fearow!"

I smacked the back of Burvance's head and gave him a rather unkind glare, but our little squabble was interrupted by a bloodcurdling caw. Both our heads turned agonizingly toward the noise. A runty Spearow was leering at us, ruffling his feathers and kicking about. Much to our dismay, its little companions began to stir, along with their leader. Caws erupted from their little breasts and feathers flew about, furthering the Fearow's provocation. I didn't even make an effort to run, nor did Burv. I looked back toward him and mouthed, _"I hate you."_ He grinned.

The Fearow, entirely awake and searing the two of us with burning eyes, screeched, ruffling its feathers and raising its beak defiantly toward the sky. It didn't seem to use Pokémon speech, just a collection of crows and screeches. Whatever it told the Spearow, they were infuriated, launching straight toward us with beaks agape. As a sort of instinct, I clawed at them, but to my surprise, none of them were concerned with me. Each and every one of them was flocking about Burvance, plunging in to take a stab at him or rake their small, hooked claws down his body.

Before I could even assist him, the Fearow itself was on me, seizing his opportunity and restraining me to the floor. He then squawked riotously, flailing his beak this way and that.

_He's hoping to stab me to death!_

"Hold on, Char! I'm comin'!" Burv started toward me, batting away a score of Spearow, but they were easily replaced by another team of enraged birds.

I pressed my feet against the body of the Fearow and pushed with all my strength, managing to uproot him from on top of me. Clearly upset by my escape, he escalated toward the sky, as did I. Mutually our wings made a mighty ruckus, flapping wildly in order to gain leverage on each other. All the while we made lunges toward each other, the Fearow dealing more damage. Decisively, I used all the precision I possessed and gripped the feral bird by the neck, triggering our loss of altitude. It'd been a while since I used the move last, but it was still fresh in my mind. We quickly turned downward, descending in a dangerously fast nosedive. A spiral began, motioned by me and sustained by the Fearow, struggling to free itself. At the last possible moment, while the ground was narrowly a foot away, I jerked from the Fearow, tumbling into the underbrush foolishly. As I landed—a bit jostled but sound—a plume of earth, grass, and feathers erupted behind me, followed by a beaten caw. My Take Down had been effective.

I was shocked from the abrupt landing, but I wanted to see what had happened. I somehow got to my feet and stumbled over to the crash zone. The nest suddenly erupted into a frenzy. The debris was cleared rapidly by the brisk flapping of tiny wings, until one final gust—supposedly by the indignant Fearow—dispersed the last of the smog. They were all flying away, cawing and screeching in defeat…or pain. Either way I was satisfied. Burvance, who had acquired minor scratches and bruises, lurched upward and laughed hysterically.

"Yeah, you keep on running, you…you…" Burv collapsed to the floor, his sides heaving and eyes slitting. He was exhausted, as was I. It was a good thing he had a small piece of sense not to send out a fire-based attack, like I had anticipated. The entire forest would've been reduced to ashes, as much as it would've helped our flying.

The two of us merely sat there, seizing our time in order to regain a bit of our energy. As I gazed about myself, I came to find the nest was thoroughly demolished. Patches of grass were nonexistent, there was a large cavity directly in the center, and the edges of the nest were no more.

"We really did a number on this place." The astonished Burvance slowly sat up, wincing at something that protested in his back. I didn't react. Instead, I sniffed around.

"Do you smell that…?" I asked Burvance, my eyes darting around the nests' perimeter. Burv snorted before shaking his head.

For a minute, I just took in the scent, and then concluded, "This nest wasn't made by our little friends. Their scent hasn't even seeped into the nest yet. There is a much more definite odor: Charizard. It's stale, but here."

Piecing the facts together, Burvance said, "Then this must be the mountain lake Charizard's nest!"

"Well it was…. He must've been missing a while for the Spearow and Fearow to just move in like that."

A prolonged silence fell between us. We found what we were looking for, but now what? All we managed to do was embitter a flock of irritable Pokémon. I looked to Burvance finally, whom I expected to be looking straight back, but he wasn't. I followed his gaze toward the wall of bark and vines, getting a tingling sensation of not being alone. Without either of us exchanging a word, I noticed the pair of sharp, glossy eyes studying us, unblinking.

_Did whoever that is see what just occurred? And why is he or she being so secretive? Shy, maybe?_

Centuries seemed to pass while we sat there and watched the ominous set of orbs watch _us_.

"Do you think it knows we see it?" whispered Burvance, his stare unwavering.

"It probably _wants _us to see it. Or it would've fled upon us realizing its company." I didn't know if what I said was true, but it sounded plausible. Burvance appeared to settle for this answer, for he said nothing else.

Much to our surprise, the creature's eyes faded into the greenery behind it. But before it wholly evaporated, its eyes gestured backward twice, as if it desired we follow it. And with that, it was gone.

A sudden movement adjacent to me caught my attention. It was Burvance. He shot up and went after the stranger, his tail blazing with curiosity. "Well? Are you coming or what?"

"Burvance, wait! You don't even know—" But he was gone, my words of wisdom becoming obsolete. I heaved an exaggerated sigh, my eyes rolling up to my brow.

_What are you getting us into now, Burvance? Was our last run-in not life threatening enough for you?_

I didn't relish the idea of being left alone in this Arceus forsaken place, so I tamely yet diffidently followed after where the fiery tail vanished.


End file.
